Clueless about the world, yet at least well-off enough to not worry about her next meal. How cruel—she’s just out of my reach! If I don’t make her my slave, it’ll be just too unfair! The world is so harsh. So I’ll just correct it myself.
“Oh, right, you said you had money on hand. Show me what you got.”
“Here you go.” She produced four large silvers from her bag. Not enough, but we’re not done here just yet.
“Do you have any way to earn the remaining amount?”
“I’ll earn it right away. It’s me you’re talking to, after all.”
Where the hell’s that confidence coming from? Or so I thought, but with a body like hers, she could probably pay the rest within the month. In other words, it’d be the same as if I had her earn money as one of my slaves.
“Just to confirm, are you a virgin?”
She smirked. “Nope.”
Why do you look so smug about that? If she were a virgin, she would’ve fetched an even higher price...but if she’d already had her first time, I might as well help myself to a sample! I stretched my hand out and grasped her soft, supple, easily malleable breast from over her clothes. Whoa, now that feels good. So she’s not padding them—they’re natural. Wanting to feel her bare skin next, I slipped my hand underneath her clothes—
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?”
Hm. Back talk, huh? I must’ve taken a little too long—the effects of Dominion were beginning to wear off. It also wore off faster the more my commands were at odds with the slave’s original will. Still, she hadn’t pushed me away, so the effects were likely still there.
“Just a little appraisal. This is an important step too.”
“Oh, okay.”
Good—she was still completely under Dominion’s influence. I needed to hurry up and bind her with that contract while I still could—I could always appraise her in full later. Like always, I wrote in the contract that she made a bet with me and promised to hand over everything she owned and become my slave if she lost. Now I just needed her letter consenting to the terms of our bet.
“Hey, can I go home already?”
“All right, now I’ll need your proof of identification.”
Before binding her to the contract, I checked her ID just in case. If the name on the contract was fake or incorrect, it might not pass legally. At the same time, putting her real name on the contract would make the document that much more valid. So it was important to make sure.
“Here.” She tossed it to me. Her name was Karina, registered with the Adventurer’s Guild as a Rank E adventurer. Perfect. Now I just need to have her sign it, and we’re all done.
“I wanna go home,” she grumbled. “Oh, here’s more ID if you need it. C’mon, this is getting to be a real pain, so can we wrap this up already?”
“How many times are you gonna say you wanna go home, you... Hm?” I took a look at the additional item she’d passed to me: a disk with a hole in the middle. Ah, I see. This would indeed count as proper identification. Yes, no problems here.
“Come on, I can go home, right? Here, take a good look at what I gave you.”
“Fool. Of course I can’t let you go before the contract is... Huh?”
Wait. If this ID is the real thing, I can’t stop her from going. Now that I get a closer look, it says here she legally has the right to go home. Hmm, well, even I can’t argue with that. Now that she’s shown me this, I can’t come up with any reason to keep her from leaving.
After all, this is unequivocal proof that she has the legal right to leave. It’s so obviously genuine that there’s no point in questioning it.
“All right, fine. Go on home.”
“Thanks a bunch. See ya.” Karina grabbed her silver coins and IDs, stood up, and made for the exit.
“Huh? A-Are you sure that was okay just now, master?” a slave at the entrance asked. I’d ordered him to wait outside the door just in case she tried to resist. No, I didn’t like the outcome, but I couldn’t help it—my hands were tied. If I’d refused to let her go after showing me an ID like that, there would’ve been a serious problem... Wait, huh?
“You fool!” I bellowed at the slave. “Why didn’t you grab her before she could leave?!”
“Huh? But you just said to let her go!”
I raised one eyebrow and cocked my head in puzzlement. Why would I say something like that? Wait—did that girl do something to me?
“Well, whatever. If she wants that slave, she’ll have to come back here sooner or later.” Then I’ll make her mine, along with her gold coins, as payment!
Still, I couldn’t help but recall how her breast had felt when I’d squeezed it. In a word, it was euphoric. Plus, her ignorance of the world made her the best kind of prey—better than a kid who knew the slums like the back of her hand or a harlot drenched in perfume. She lost points for not being a virgin, but I decided I could give her a pass on that.
“Tell the hoodlums about Karina and ask them to keep an eye out. Tell them to catch her and bring her here if she looks like she’s about to leave the city.”
“Understood, master.”
You slipped through my fingers this time, but next time I see you, you’re mine. I won’t let you escape—Karina!
#Side: END
Huh...? What was I doing again?
Next thing I knew, I was strolling through the town. What the heck? Wasn’t I at the slave trader’s place? Um, what happened there again? Er... Right, I was asking about the price of a slave. It was...one gold, right? Then maybe I should go on more logging quests with Blade. If we really put in the effort, we can make that much in no time.
“Did I give that slave trader a down payment? I can’t remember. No—the four large silvers are still here. Wait, or did I let him squeeze my boobs as payment instead?” Ugh... My memory’s all a haze. But at least that slave girl probably won’t get sold before I come back. I doubt anyone besides me would want to buy her in her current state.
Just then, a chill ran up my spine. Oh no, am I getting a cold? Not good... I think I’ll go home, get warm, and take it easy today.
And so, I decided to take a break from work the rest of the day and focus on furnishing my living space instead so that I’d have a warm bed to sleep in. Right now, I had the blanket I’d copied at the church and the tattered fur pelt I’d purchased. The pelt would trap my body heat, and I’d sweat more the hotter I got, making me even more likely to get sick. So it was actually better to have holes in the pelt, for more breathability. Actually, maybe the right move is to make even more holes, then put it on top of the blanket? Hmm... Nah, I’m thinking about this backward. If I’m taking the time and effort to furnish my base, then I might as well splurge on better materials now! More cost-effective in the long run!
“I’ll have to wait on the slave girl, but I think I’ll spend these four large silvers on furnishings instead.”
It wouldn’t be a loss anyway, considering I could make that much from a single day of logging. Provided I could get Blade and his party to help out again, that is.
I made my way to the market for another shopping trip. First, I needed to get my sleeping situation in order—in other words, set up my bed. I didn’t have to worry about security measures, since I’d be safe as long as I was in my space of holding.
“Now then, I doubt I’ll find optimal bedclothes, but I should at least look for something competent.”
Although, if I was basing “competent” on my standards from when I’d lived in Japan, it might have meant I would already be looking for the best bedclothes possible in this world. Considering how expensive cotton was, anyway. For now, I set my maximum budget at three large silvers.
First off, I went back to the store I’d bought the pelt and dried jerky from the other day. The guy there seemed to know his stuff, so I’d figured it’d be quicker if I just asked him. Actually, since he sold cotton as well, I might just find everything I need at his store.
“Oh, you came back after all, eh?” he said with a grin. “Welcome back!”
“Hi. Um, it’s been a few days since I was last here. You still remember me?”
“Of course! How could I possibly forget a beauty like you? Even if you asked me to, it’d be impossible! Now then, anything you’re looking for in particular?”
Oho, this guy’s really good at buttering people up. “Actually, I was thinking I needed a bed, and I seem to recall you sold cotton here. How much cotton would you give me for two large silvers?” I showed the merchant the money.
“Oh, cash in hand, eh? Looks like you’re serious about buying, then. Hmm... Not enough to make a bed out of, at least.”
“Oh. Well...could you do something about the price, then?” I gave him a glance with upturned eyes. Even if he couldn’t lower the price, maybe he’d give me more for my coin as a bonus.
“Well now, let’s see. That rack of yours looks even softer than cotton, so for two large silvers and a little squeeze, you can have enough to fill that whole backpack you’re wearing.” He laughed. “Just kidding.”
Yep, there it is. You know, you say you’re just kidding, but the look in your eyes, plus the fact that you’re goggling at my chest, tells me otherwise. Hmm... Well, if I had enough cotton to fill this backpack, I could make both a futon and bedclothes. So it’s negotiation time!
“Seriously, though,” he went on as though he’d never made the offer, “couldn’t you just use straw as a substitute for the cotton you can’t afford? I mean—”
“Sure, why not?” I said, cutting him off. “For two large silvers and boobs you can fondle to your heart’s content, I’ll take a backpack full of the best cotton you got.”
“Huh?!” The man looked shocked and even a little timid. Hey now, you brought it up first. “A-Are you serious?!”
“So do we have a deal?”
I heard him gulp. Heh heh, I got him.